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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
WEAVER CO. GETS DYES
Secures Portion of Mahogany Stain Recently
Brought Here by the "Deutschland"
YORK, PA., September 5.—The Weaver Organ
& Piano Co. secured a liberal quantity of the
German dyes which were recently brought into
this country by the submarine "Deutschland,"
according to a statement made this week by a
member of the firm. The Weaver concern has
been a large consumer of mahogany stain manu-
factured in Germany, the imported stain being
used because of its alleged superiority. The
fall line of Weaver pianos will be stained with
the dye which was brought over by the sub-
marine. A portion of the supply, which has
been allotted to the Weaver Co., will be re-
ceived here within a few days. The concern
is at present busily engaged in preparing a
special line of instruments for exhibition at
various fairs throughout the country.
AMERICAN WALNUT FOR VENEERS
Enormous Freight Rates and the Scarcity of
Imported Woods Has Caused Piano Manu-
facturers to Turn to American Walnut
A ban has been placed on the importing of
Circassian walnut and mahogany logs into the
United States on account of the lack of ships
and the enormous freight rates prevailing at
the present time. The scarcity of these two
popular woods has naturally led the manufac-
turers of fancy veneers to look around for some
wood that could be offered the manufacturers
of high class furniture and cabinet work in their
place.
What more natural than that their choice
should fall on American walnut, the wood that
twenty years ago was a leader in the manufac-
ture of furniture and high class woodwork. In
recent years it has had to yield its leadership
to others of fancied superiority, but even so, it
has never fallen entirely from grace and it
looks at this time as though it might be rein-
stated as a leader. Its enduring qualities are
well known, so that when using it manufacturers
will not be taking any chances. This point in
itself should win half the battle. The other
half then would need to be won on its appear-
ance, its cost and the stocks available.
In the matter of appearance, perhaps, it will
be best to compare it with the two woods which
it will be called upon to replace, Of these ma-
hogany is the most popular. It has a very pleas-
ing appearance, but there have been so inany
imitations of it that the average buyer when
told that a piece of furniture is solid mahogany
is apt to view it with suspicion. The mahogany
in general use lends itself to imitations on ac-
count of the strong similarity of one log to
another in the matter of color and texture. On
the other hand, American walnut is very diffi-
cult to imitate as it is seldom that the grain
and color of two different logs are found any-
where near alike, while as regards appearance
and cost it compares favorably with mahogany,
the cost being perhaps a trifle lower.
Circassian walnut is a very expensive wood,
both as to first cost and the labor cost of pre-
paring it for use. In order to secure the effects
which are generally sought after when this wood
is used, it is necessary to do considerable joint-
ing and matching and the matching has to be
very accurately done or the appearance of the
whole job may be spoiled. It is the peculiar
mixture of light and dark streaks in Circassian
walnut that appeals to the tastes of some peo-
ple, but generally the appeal thus made is not a
lasting one.
American walnut has an evenness of figure
and color that is both pleasing and restful, and
can be secured in sizes suitable for almost any
class of work, so that very little jointing is
necessary. It is possible, however, to secure
some beautiful effects by end matching or butt-
jointing.
A piece of walnut furniture or a piano with
a walnut case always has the appearance of be-
ing genuine and substantial, says the Canadian
Woodworker. When it begins to look a trifle
dim it can easily be made to look the same as
new by rubbing with a good furniture polish.
The other point to be dealt with, then, is the
supply, and although we have read about enor-
mous quantities of this wood being used for
gun stocks, there are still large stocks available
for the manufacture of furniture and cabinet
work.
I
MATERIALS,
TOOLS AND
SUPPLIES
FOR
PIANO MANUFACTURERS
HINGES, BUTTS, CASTERS, PEDALS, FELTS,
CLOTHS, PUNCHINGS, SWINGS, HANGERS,
KNOBS, LOCKS, ETC., AND A FULL LINE OF
TOOLS USED IN TUNING, REGULATING AND
REPAIRING. CORRESPONDENCE INVITED.
51
INCREASED COST OF PIANO PLATES
Matawan Steel & Iron Co. Calls Attention to
Advancing Price of Tungsten and Vanadium
Caused by the European War
MATAWAN, N. j . , September 5.—An example
of the effect of the European war upon the in-
creased cost of piano supplies was given this
week by President S. B. Eggleston, of the
Matawan Steel & Iron Co., manufacturer of
piano plates, who based his statement on a re-
port recently issued by Fred Carroll, of the
Colorado Bureau of Mines, who predicts that
tungsten, which sold at $15 per unit of 20
pounds, will go to $75 per unit on account
of the large orders which the Allies are placing
in this country at the present time. Tungsten
is used in making high speed tool steel drills,
which are used by the Matawan concern for
drilling piano plates. The prospective advance
of tungsten to $7,500 per ton, as against $500
per ton early last year, will greatly increase
the cost of manufacturing piano plates, and
the Matawan Steel & Iron Co. is urging its
customers everywhere to anticipate their fall
end winter needs by ordering their supplies as
soon as possible. The vanadium market is also
very active, which is an added factor in increas-
ing the cost of piano plates, as the Matawan
concern uses only the highest grade of vana-
dium pig iron made.
THE FUTURE_0F MAHOGANY
The United States Will Eventually Becom* the
Largest Mahogany Market in the World
Much of the mahogany now coming into the
American markets is not, strictly speaking, true
mahogany, but is known as Philippine mahog-
any, according to an authority in the held.
While botanically this wood is not true ma-
hogany, it nevertheless possesses the qualities
desired by dealer and consumer and so goes by
the accepted name. "Much of the finest mahog-
any is not true mahogany," said a forestry ex-
pert recently, "and some of the poorer mahog-
any is of the true mahogany family."
The growing taste for Colonial architecture in
recent years has had its effect, according to good
authority, in stimulating the sale of mahogany
furniture to adorn Colonial houses. Statistics
show that the normal receipts of all sorts of
mahogany in this country are about 50,000,000
feet a year, though 70,000,000 feet were received
in the banner year of 1907. It is stated, how-
ever, that great developments are pending which
will put this country in the lead as a mahogany
center, with a consequent greatly increased
growth in receipts.
Owing to difficulties in transportation and
other causes, mahogany has had a big rise in
price recently, jumping from 1 3 ^ to 15 cents
a foot six months ago to about 1 8 ^ or 20 cents
a foot for inch Is and 2s or from $185 to $200
per M. Those familiar with conditions say that
the United States is on the verge of becoming
the greatest mahogany market in the world,
with centers at Boston, New York and New
Orleans.
Richardson Piano Case Co.
Manufacturers of
HAMMACHER, SCHLEMMER & CO.
Upright—
G rand—
Player—
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
Piano Cases
Established
4th Ave. & 13th St.
LEOMINSTER
.
::
1891
::
MASS.